E.U. Delays Vote on Software Patents

Law360 (November 26, 2003, 12:00 AM EST) -- European Union ministers Wednesday postponed a vote on legislation on software patents until next September, following intense pressure from the business lobby.

The Italian government, which holds the E.U. presidency, was unable to come up with a compromise between proponents of a restrictive policy and critics who fear the adoption of U.S.-style "business method patents." As a result, it decided to put off the vote in the Council of Ministers for now, according to news reports.

Under the current system, the European Patent Office issues patents...